Antelope Canyon

Many travelers visit Antelope Canyon on guided tours. Photography tours are a good option for those wanting to capture the colors and shapes of the canyon's sandstone walls or spot local wildlife. Some tour companies offer Antelope Canyon tours that also visit Lake Powell or nearby Horseshoe Bend, a scenic viewpoint overlooking a curve in the Colorado River. Slot canyon tours from Flagstaff and Sedona typically include round-trip transportation. Other more comprehensive multi-day tours of the southwest depart from Las Vegas or the Grand Canyon National Park.

• You can only visit this Navajo Nation landmark with an authorized tour guide.

• Bring your camera and a tripod for long exposure shots—photography enthusiasts travel from all over to snap photos of Antelope Canyon.

• The more popular of the two, Upper Canyon is easily walkable thanks to a level sandy surface but not easily accessible for wheelchair users.

• Lower Canyon involves a longer walk that requires climbing metal staircases and is therefore totally inaccessible to wheelchair users.

Antelope Canyon is set 7.6 miles (12.2 kilometers) from the city of Page, AZ near the Arizona-Utah border. By road, Flagstaff and Sedona are two hours and three hours away, respectively. Although you must have a guide upon arrival, it's also easy to drive right to Lower Antelope Canyon from Flagstaff, Sedona, and even Phoenix by heading north along Arizona State Route 98.

Although the canyon is open year-round, many travelers consider March through October to be the best time to visit, when the light is at its most beautiful. The natural light during these months makes for a stellar display in the dark canyons, with the sun illuminating the cracks and crevices of the colorful canyon's red rock walls. Expect temperatures near 100°F (38°C) in summer.

Alongside Antelope Canyon, there's lots more to see and do in Navajo Nation, which occupies much of the Four Corners region in New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park is a particular highlight, as is the Canyon de Chelly National Monument. The Explore Navajo Interactive Museum, located east of the Grand Canyon, provides an excellent overview of the Navajo people's journey.

The best months to visit Antelope Canyon are the cooler months of April, May, September, or October, or the first half of November—as Arizona’s temperatures can reach sweltering hot levels. If you want to see the canyon’s light beams, they're only visible May through September, but those months bring crowds, too.

Both areas of Antelope Canyon offer a great experience. Upper Antelope Canyon features the famous light beams that are cool to see and awesome for photographers. On the other hand, Lower Antelope Canyon has narrow passageways and ladders that can be fun, but the walk is harder, too.

Since Antelope Canyon is on Navajo land, you can’t visit without a guide, which means you’ll know exactly the amount of time you’ll need at the canyon when you book a tour. Tours typically cover the Upper or Lower area and take around 1.5 hours, but some run up to three hours.

No, Antelope Canyon itself has no bathrooms at the slot canyon; however, many of the tours provide a restroom or porta potty for you to use before you head to Antelope Canyon. If you’re worried about it, you can check ahead of time with your tour provider to see.

Yes, you can see Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon in one day if you’d like. You can fit tours to both areas in as they usually only run around 1–2 hours and the areas are very close to one another. Many travelers who are short on time also see Horseshoe Bend.

No, you don’t necessarily need hiking boots to visit Antelope Canyon, but you should definitely wear closed-toe shoes, whether that be sturdy boots or walking or hiking shoes. The way into Antelope Canyon is less than a mile (1.6 kilometers) and it moves at a slow pace so all fitness levels can enjoy.